BaseballAmerica- some top prospects

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It was a rough week for Diamondbacks first baseman Conor Jackson, who sits among the Pacific Coast League top five in batting average (.373), on-base percentage (.463), hits (98) and RBIs (57). Prior to Tuesday night's game at Tacoma, Jackson stood outside the visitor's clubhouse beyond the left-field wall, talking on his cell phone as the home team took batting practice. A Tacoma batter hit one down the line which cleared the fence and bonked Jackson it the head, knocking him out briefly. Jackson was not seriously hurt, and returned to action two days later, and his ever-supportive teammates showed their concerns by creating a tape outline where Jackson fell, complete with an outline of his cell phone (special thanks to Rainiers assistant GM Philip Cowan for the photo).

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It's our weekly snapshot of baseball's hottest prospects, combining prospect status with recent performance. This list is not a replacement or an update to our Top 100, because it will often change drastically from week to week based on performance. We are not replacing Felix Hernandez or Joel Guzman as the top prospects in baseball, rather we are giving you a snapshot of the hottest prospects. Keep up with news on these prospects plus many more on a daily basis with the Daily Dish and The Baseball America Prospect Report.

We love to hear your opinions, so send your list to Kevin at kevingoldstein@baseballamerica.com, but keep in mind there are only 20 spots on this list, and chances are there are more than 20 hot prospects during a week-long span. We aren't intentionally forgetting your guy, there's just only so much room. Also remember the key word in the title--prospect--so, 25-year-old Class A organizational players who are tearing the cover off the ball rarely apply.

1. Justin Verlander, rhp, Tigers (Double-A Erie)

Sure, he can get A-ball hitters out, but let's see him face Double-A batters, where we start to separate the men from the boys, now he'll be challenged. Wrong. Verlander has firmly entrenched himself among the best pitching prospects in baseball, striking out the first seven batters he faced in his Erie debut. On the week, he fired 14 shutout innings in a pair of starts, allowing a grand total of five hits and three walks, while striking out 18.

2. Delmon Young, of, Devil Rays (Double-A Montgomery)

With four more hits, Young would be leading the Southern League in all three triple crown categories. Currently on pace for a 30-30 season with 18 home runs and 24 stolen bases in 74 games, Young may be the best offensive player in the Tampa system right now, including the big league team.

3. Andy LaRoche, 3b, Dodgers (Double-A Jacksonville)

Tied for the minor league lead with 26 home runs after pounding three more this week, LaRoche is hitting .370 with 16 RBIs and more extra-base hits (10) than singles (7) in 11 games at Double-A.

4. Brandon Wood, ss, Angels (High Class A Rancho Cucamonga)

Wood hit four home runs this week to keep pace with LaRoche. All this from a player who entered the season with 16 home runs in 186 games. He's also showing an uncanny knack for getting things started right, batting .413 when leading off an inning with nine home runs in 46 at-bats.

5. Chuck James, lhp, Braves (Double-A Mississippi)

It was another classic outing for James on Friday, as the little lefty struck out 11 over six shutout innings. His season totals, split across two levels, are staggering: 84 innings, 56 hits, 21 walks, 116 strikeouts.

6. Joel Zumaya, rhp, Tigers (Double-A Erie)

One would be hard-pressed to find a 1-2 punch at any level better than Verlander and Zumaya. Keeping pace with the 2004 first-round pick, Zumaya fired seven shutout innings of his own last night, giving him an 0.78 ERA in his last five starts.

7. Daric Barton, 1b, Athletics (High Class A Stockton)

The hottest bat in the minor leagues belongs to Barton, who has 24 hits in his last 10 games, including three four-hit efforts and a total of 15 RBIs.

8. Billy Butler, 3b, Royals (High Class A High Desert)

After missing nearly three weeks with a broken bone in his hand, Butler returned to the lineup at a new position -- left field -- after having a miserable time defensively at third base. No longer worrying about struggles at the hot corner, the 2004 first-round pick has hit .462 (12-for-26) with three home runs, 12 RBIs and nine runs scored in six games since his return.

9. Miguel Montero, c, Diamondbacks (High Class A Lancaster)

The longer this goes on, the less it looks like a fluke, as Montero hit three more home runs this week. He maintained his amazing rate of more RBIs (78) than games played (76) while leading the California League in hits (110) and runs (62)

10. Ryan Howard, 1b, Phillies (Triple-A Scranton/Wilkes-Barre)

How good a season is Howard having? He had a so-so week (for him), going 8-for-28, and still leads the minor leagues with a .378 batting average while ranking among the top five in on-base percentage (.477) and slugging (.699)

11. Brian Bannister, rhp, Mets (Double-A Binghamton)

At 9-1, 1.73, Bannister has been the model of consistency, allowing less than two earned runs in 11 of 15 starts. Stepping up in the clutch has kept the ERA down, as opposing batters are just 1-for-22 against Bannister with runners in scoring position and two outs.

12. Corey Hart, of, Brewers (Triple-A Nashville)

Hart's .308 average at Nashville is made all the more impressive by the fact that the former Southern League MVP hit just .157 (11-for-70) in April. After hitting .306 in May, Hart has been unconscious in June, making up for the the loss of Rickie Weeks and Prince Fielder by batting .416 in 25 games while scoring 26 runs.

13. Thomas Diamond, rhp, Rangers (Double-A Frisco)

Diamond struggled with his control in his Double-A debut, walking four and allowing two runs on four hits Monday night. With six strikeouts, the proof is still there that even when he's not at his best, Diamond knows how to miss bats.

14. Glen Perkins, lhp, Twins (High Class A Fort Myers)

One of nine pitchers taken in the first 40 picks last year who have already reached Double-A or higher, Perkins was solid in his Eastern League debut, allowing two runs over six innings and striking out six.

15. Troy Patton, lhp, Astros (Low Class A Lexington)

Patton was rocked in his last outing, allowing seven runs in four innings, and his ERA is still at 1.94 and his opponents batting average is still just .211. Desperately lacking run support at home, Patton has a 1.98 ERA in seven starts at Applebee's Park in Lexington, and nary a win to show for it.

16. Vince Sinisi, of, Rangers (Double-A Frisco)

A myriad of complications stemming from a broken arm delayed Sinisi's season until mid-May, but he quickly made up for lost time by batting .363 in 35 games for high Class A Bakersfield, including a six-for-six night in his final game there. Promoted to Double-A over the weekend, the former Rice star has quickly assumed the cleanup role for the RoughRiders, hitting a home run in his Texas League debut and driving in two runs in his next game.

17. Ryan Zimmerman, 3b, Nationals (Double-A Harrisburg)

The first 2005 draftee to make the Hot Sheet, the fourth overall pick out of Virginia went 8-for-17 with a pair of home runs and six RBIs in four games for Savannah in the Sally League, and went 4-for-12 with three runs scored in three games at Double-A -- less than a month after his final college game.

18. Sean Gallagher, rhp, Cubs (Low Class A Peoria)

Gallagher returned to early-season form on Monday, allowing two hits over seven shutout innings Monday night. His ERA in 15 starts is a Gooden-esque 1.53, and he's surrendered just 13 extra-base hits in 88 innings.

19. Wes Bankston, 1b, Devil Rays (Double-A Montgomery)

Bankston missed the first four weeks of the season while recovering from minor knee surgery, but he quickly was bumped to Montgomery after batting .387-3-23 in 17 games at high Class A Visalia. In his last six games, the piping hot Biscuit (we couldn't help ourselves) has gone 12-for-23, raising his Double-A average to .313 in 24 games.

20. Hong-Chih Kuo, lhp, Dodgers (Double-A Jacksonville)

Signed to $1.25 million dollar bonus in 1999 at the age of 17, Kuo was seen as a future star on the basis of his upper-90s fastball, but a pair of Tommy John surgeries limited him to just 42 innings in five seasons, all but dropping him off the prospect radar. Finally healthy, Kuo has returned with a vengeance, reaching Double-A and striking out a whopping 35 in his last 18 innings without allowing a run.

Our Tiger fans will be glad to see Verlander at the top of the list

[faba]

It was a rough week for Diamondbacks first baseman Conor Jackson, who sits among the Pacific Coast League top five in batting average (.373), on-base percentage (.463), hits (98) and RBIs (57). Prior to Tuesday night's game at Tacoma, Jackson stood outside the visitor's clubhouse beyond the left-field wall, talking on his cell phone as the home team took batting practice. A Tacoma batter hit one down the line which cleared the fence and bonked Jackson it the head, knocking him out briefly. Jackson was not seriously hurt, and returned to action two days later, and his ever-supportive teammates showed their concerns by creating a tape outline where Jackson fell, complete with an outline of his cell phone (special thanks to Rainiers assistant GM Philip Cowan for the photo).

--------------------------------------------------------------------------------

It's our weekly snapshot of baseball's hottest prospects, combining prospect status with recent performance. This list is not a replacement or an update to our Top 100, because it will often change drastically from week to week based on performance. We are not replacing Felix Hernandez or Joel Guzman as the top prospects in baseball, rather we are giving you a snapshot of the hottest prospects. Keep up with news on these prospects plus many more on a daily basis with the Daily Dish and The Baseball America Prospect Report.

We love to hear your opinions, so send your list to Kevin at kevingoldstein@baseballamerica.com, but keep in mind there are only 20 spots on this list, and chances are there are more than 20 hot prospects during a week-long span. We aren't intentionally forgetting your guy, there's just only so much room. Also remember the key word in the title--prospect--so, 25-year-old Class A organizational players who are tearing the cover off the ball rarely apply.

1. Justin Verlander, rhp, Tigers (Double-A Erie)

Sure, he can get A-ball hitters out, but let's see him face Double-A batters, where we start to separate the men from the boys, now he'll be challenged. Wrong. Verlander has firmly entrenched himself among the best pitching prospects in baseball, striking out the first seven batters he faced in his Erie debut. On the week, he fired 14 shutout innings in a pair of starts, allowing a grand total of five hits and three walks, while striking out 18.

2. Delmon Young, of, Devil Rays (Double-A Montgomery)

With four more hits, Young would be leading the Southern League in all three triple crown categories. Currently on pace for a 30-30 season with 18 home runs and 24 stolen bases in 74 games, Young may be the best offensive player in the Tampa system right now, including the big league team.

3. Andy LaRoche, 3b, Dodgers (Double-A Jacksonville)

Tied for the minor league lead with 26 home runs after pounding three more this week, LaRoche is hitting .370 with 16 RBIs and more extra-base hits (10) than singles (7) in 11 games at Double-A.

4. Brandon Wood, ss, Angels (High Class A Rancho Cucamonga)

Wood hit four home runs this week to keep pace with LaRoche. All this from a player who entered the season with 16 home runs in 186 games. He's also showing an uncanny knack for getting things started right, batting .413 when leading off an inning with nine home runs in 46 at-bats.

5. Chuck James, lhp, Braves (Double-A Mississippi)

It was another classic outing for James on Friday, as the little lefty struck out 11 over six shutout innings. His season totals, split across two levels, are staggering: 84 innings, 56 hits, 21 walks, 116 strikeouts.

6. Joel Zumaya, rhp, Tigers (Double-A Erie)

One would be hard-pressed to find a 1-2 punch at any level better than Verlander and Zumaya. Keeping pace with the 2004 first-round pick, Zumaya fired seven shutout innings of his own last night, giving him an 0.78 ERA in his last five starts.

7. Daric Barton, 1b, Athletics (High Class A Stockton)

The hottest bat in the minor leagues belongs to Barton, who has 24 hits in his last 10 games, including three four-hit efforts and a total of 15 RBIs.

8. Billy Butler, 3b, Royals (High Class A High Desert)

After missing nearly three weeks with a broken bone in his hand, Butler returned to the lineup at a new position -- left field -- after having a miserable time defensively at third base. No longer worrying about struggles at the hot corner, the 2004 first-round pick has hit .462 (12-for-26) with three home runs, 12 RBIs and nine runs scored in six games since his return.

9. Miguel Montero, c, Diamondbacks (High Class A Lancaster)

The longer this goes on, the less it looks like a fluke, as Montero hit three more home runs this week. He maintained his amazing rate of more RBIs (78) than games played (76) while leading the California League in hits (110) and runs (62)

10. Ryan Howard, 1b, Phillies (Triple-A Scranton/Wilkes-Barre)

How good a season is Howard having? He had a so-so week (for him), going 8-for-28, and still leads the minor leagues with a .378 batting average while ranking among the top five in on-base percentage (.477) and slugging (.699)

11. Brian Bannister, rhp, Mets (Double-A Binghamton)

At 9-1, 1.73, Bannister has been the model of consistency, allowing less than two earned runs in 11 of 15 starts. Stepping up in the clutch has kept the ERA down, as opposing batters are just 1-for-22 against Bannister with runners in scoring position and two outs.

12. Corey Hart, of, Brewers (Triple-A Nashville)

Hart's .308 average at Nashville is made all the more impressive by the fact that the former Southern League MVP hit just .157 (11-for-70) in April. After hitting .306 in May, Hart has been unconscious in June, making up for the the loss of Rickie Weeks and Prince Fielder by batting .416 in 25 games while scoring 26 runs.

13. Thomas Diamond, rhp, Rangers (Double-A Frisco)

Diamond struggled with his control in his Double-A debut, walking four and allowing two runs on four hits Monday night. With six strikeouts, the proof is still there that even when he's not at his best, Diamond knows how to miss bats.

14. Glen Perkins, lhp, Twins (High Class A Fort Myers)

One of nine pitchers taken in the first 40 picks last year who have already reached Double-A or higher, Perkins was solid in his Eastern League debut, allowing two runs over six innings and striking out six.

15. Troy Patton, lhp, Astros (Low Class A Lexington)

Patton was rocked in his last outing, allowing seven runs in four innings, and his ERA is still at 1.94 and his opponents batting average is still just .211. Desperately lacking run support at home, Patton has a 1.98 ERA in seven starts at Applebee's Park in Lexington, and nary a win to show for it.

16. Vince Sinisi, of, Rangers (Double-A Frisco)

A myriad of complications stemming from a broken arm delayed Sinisi's season until mid-May, but he quickly made up for lost time by batting .363 in 35 games for high Class A Bakersfield, including a six-for-six night in his final game there. Promoted to Double-A over the weekend, the former Rice star has quickly assumed the cleanup role for the RoughRiders, hitting a home run in his Texas League debut and driving in two runs in his next game.

17. Ryan Zimmerman, 3b, Nationals (Double-A Harrisburg)

The first 2005 draftee to make the Hot Sheet, the fourth overall pick out of Virginia went 8-for-17 with a pair of home runs and six RBIs in four games for Savannah in the Sally League, and went 4-for-12 with three runs scored in three games at Double-A -- less than a month after his final college game.

18. Sean Gallagher, rhp, Cubs (Low Class A Peoria)

Gallagher returned to early-season form on Monday, allowing two hits over seven shutout innings Monday night. His ERA in 15 starts is a Gooden-esque 1.53, and he's surrendered just 13 extra-base hits in 88 innings.

19. Wes Bankston, 1b, Devil Rays (Double-A Montgomery)

Bankston missed the first four weeks of the season while recovering from minor knee surgery, but he quickly was bumped to Montgomery after batting .387-3-23 in 17 games at high Class A Visalia. In his last six games, the piping hot Biscuit (we couldn't help ourselves) has gone 12-for-23, raising his Double-A average to .313 in 24 games.

20. Hong-Chih Kuo, lhp, Dodgers (Double-A Jacksonville)

Signed to $1.25 million dollar bonus in 1999 at the age of 17, Kuo was seen as a future star on the basis of his upper-90s fastball, but a pair of Tommy John surgeries limited him to just 42 innings in five seasons, all but dropping him off the prospect radar. Finally healthy, Kuo has returned with a vengeance, reaching Double-A and striking out a whopping 35 in his last 18 innings without allowing a run.

Our Tiger fans will be glad to see Verlander at the top of the list

[Timmy5784]

I saw Verlander pitch last weekend in Binghamton against the AA Mets. Looked awesome giving up like 2 or 3 hits and no runs in seven innings. To bad their closer gave up a walk off homer to cost him the win.

[Timmy5784]

I saw Verlander pitch last weekend in Binghamton against the AA Mets. Looked awesome giving up like 2 or 3 hits and no runs in seven innings. To bad their closer gave up a walk off homer to cost him the win.

[faba]

I saw Verlander pitch last weekend in Binghamton against the AA Mets. Looked awesome giving up like 2 or 3 hits and no runs in seven innings. To bad their closer gave up a walk off homer to cost him the win.

Timmy5784

Any insight you can give on the Met players at Binghamton

[faba]

I saw Verlander pitch last weekend in Binghamton against the AA Mets. Looked awesome giving up like 2 or 3 hits and no runs in seven innings. To bad their closer gave up a walk off homer to cost him the win.

Timmy5784

Any insight you can give on the Met players at Binghamton

[Timmy5784]

Id have to say that im most impressed with Brian Bannister. He dosent throw real hard but has some sick breaking stuff. He got drilled last night but thats really the first time all year.

Probably the best hitter on the team Mike Jacobs is now going to catch full time i read this morning because they called up a kid to play first.

Chase Lambin is also having a great year got sent down after hitting like 400 in AAA. Hes kind of a utility guy tho.

And the pitcher Petit (sp?) i saw him pitch a few times he looked good he was on like a 50 pitch pitchcount for a while so he only went a few innings the times I saw him, to be honest I like Bannister more than Petit.

[Timmy5784]

Id have to say that im most impressed with Brian Bannister. He dosent throw real hard but has some sick breaking stuff. He got drilled last night but thats really the first time all year.

Probably the best hitter on the team Mike Jacobs is now going to catch full time i read this morning because they called up a kid to play first.

Chase Lambin is also having a great year got sent down after hitting like 400 in AAA. Hes kind of a utility guy tho.

And the pitcher Petit (sp?) i saw him pitch a few times he looked good he was on like a 50 pitch pitchcount for a while so he only went a few innings the times I saw him, to be honest I like Bannister more than Petit.

[stormshadow19]

Verlander and Zumaya... they're going to be a nice addition to Bonderman, giving the Tigers a nice one, two, three punch in that rotation.

[stormshadow19]

Verlander and Zumaya... they're going to be a nice addition to Bonderman, giving the Tigers a nice one, two, three punch in that rotation.